Apparatus for the distribution of heat



June 11, 1935. w. bemz 2,004,857

I APPARATUS FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF HEAT Filed Dec. 15, 1932 Patented June 11, 1935 1 APPARATUS FOR THE DISTRIBUTION 7 HEAT- ,J William Driaz, Geneva, Switzerland Application December 15, 1932, Serial No. 647,497

ylnSwitzerland December 21, 1931 v 6 Claims. (01. 257 24 The present invention relates to an installafrigerating chambers, theexchange surface the'n' tion for heatingor cooling in practically uniform preferably being constituted by the ceiling 0f manner such items as the surface of a floor, a ceilsuch chambers. f ing, or w ll, l The heating by means of the floor, ceiling or 5' According to the invention, said installation walls) of wagons, motor cars, drying rooms; 5 comprises supporting members for the surface to stoves, incubators, heating plates, as well as the be heated or cooled, a net of tubes disposed paralcooling of artificial skating rinks, are also fields lel to said surface and containing the source of of application of the invention. thermal energy, the enveloping surfaceof said The distributing means distributes'or absorbs 1o tubes being materially smaller than the exchange the heat (by conduction, radiation, convection 1'0 surface, heat distributing means between the or any combination thereof) approximately paral tubes and the said surface, at least one compen- 161 to the exchange surface.v In other wordspif sating part of greater specific resistance to therthe paths followed by the heat are graphically mal transmission than the distributing means represented, as for example is the case Witir'the 1 5 and disposed between said means and said .surlines of 'electro-magnetic forces, it will be seen 1'5" face, the compensating part having the .value of that'the lines of heat content will'be arranged, its absolute thermal resistance measured at right between the tubes and the exchange surface,'-iri angles to the said surface greater in a region large measure and over a large portion oi thei'r 7 near the tubes than in a region remote therefrom length, parallel to said exchange surface UNITED TATES PATENT Omar in such manner that there is obtained a practi- It 'results from the foregoing that the tubes 1 cally uniform temperature throughout the entire may be separatedfrom each other a materially heat-exchange surface. greater distance than the smallest distance"'sepa'.-

By the expression thermal transmission is rating these tubes from the exchange surface; I understood any heat transmission or absorption For example, the tubes may be spaced from each of heat (cooling) which may occur due to conother a distance of 60 cms. while "the dis'tance 2'5 duction, radiation, convection or any combinafrom one tube'to the exchange surface is my 1 tion of these phenomena. or 2 cms. The distributing means will be briefly In order to vary the value of the absolute redesignated hereinafter as a distributor; It is sistance of the compensatingpart, the latter may preferably made of metal,forexample iron, cop

be so shaped that its thickness measured at right per or aluminium, copper and aluminiunr'bein'g 30 angles to the surface to be heated or cooled is especially suitable for this purpose, due-to' 'their greater in a region near the source than in a respective good conductivities. This distributor" region remote from the source. It is also possible may also consist of an enclosure in which to accomplish the same end by designing this the heat is transmitted by thetransfer of a carry-'- compensating part to have a specific resistance ing substance or vehicle, for instance'byconvec 35- greater in a region near the source than in a tion. r i g region remote from the source. 7 As for the'compensating part, which hasbeen Hereinafter the surface to be heated or cooled referred to previously, and which has c -greater will be briefly designated as an exchange sur specific thermal resistance than that of the dis- 40' face since a calorific exchange takes place betributing means, it may consist of a solidor fluid 4Z0" tween this surface and its. surroundings. This (air, a vacuum more or less complete in whichthe exchange surface may be flat, spherical, cylinheat transfer is by radiation, conduction,-convec-' drical, etc., as desired. tion or combination thereof) or it mayconsist-of The object of the invention isto heat or cool a mixtureof homogeneous or heterogeneousma the surroundings by permitting the transmission terials (for example a mixture of wood shavings 45- of large quantities of heat from the exchange and air, wood shavings and metal particlesfietci surface .to the surroundings or vice -versa, while This compensating part, which hereinafter will having the different points of the exchange surbe called'a compensator compensates the deface practically at the same temperature. crease or increase of temperature of the 'distrib' The present invention finds its principal aputor. i ff 5oplication in the heating ofbuilding's; In this case, The net of tubes disposed parallel to the ex the exchange surface is preferably the floor, and change surface, may consist of a plurality of tubes the tubes may be for instance electrical heaters connected in parallel or in series (in this last case 7 or pipestraversed by hot water or gases (vapour). the net of tubes may be a flat coil for instance? The invention may also be applied tocooling reand the tubes are not only elongated'bodies of" 55" circular cross section, but may also be of any other cross section (rectangular, square, etc.) uniform or variable lengthwise the tubes. In the following description these tubes are designated as heaters or heating body.

The annexed drawing represents only by way of example a heating installation according to my invention.

Fig. 1 shows a vertical section through a floor presenting the heating installation.

' Fig. 2 is a section according to line 11-11 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the piece connecting the distributing means to the tubes.

The distributor I consists of like metallic elements in the form of a ribbon, separated from each other and lodged in the recesses of a supporting member 5635. This supporting member rests on a slab 40, by means of wedges 31. These latter are made of mortar or other suitable material which is preferably a heat and sound insulator. I

A layer of air 36, existing between the supporting member and the slab 40, has an insulating,

effect- Due to the wedges .31, the inequalities and irregularities of the slab may be absorbed and the supporting members placed at the same level. These latter may .be for example hollow bricks (hourdis) terracotta, or other hollow bodies.

In the example shown, the supporting members comprisetwo layers of material 5 and 35, separated by recesses 4 and 34 and connected by supports 6. The upper layer 5 is as thin as possible in order, to impede only slightly the transfer of heat while the layer 35 maybe thicker in order to resist the tensional stresses when the supporting memberis loaded. The floor rests upon said supporting members; and may consist for example of linoleum 39 resting ona.bed-38.

The distributors 'I are thermally connected to the heaters 3 by connectingpieces 2. The heat from the heaters 3 is conveyed by the connecting pieces! to the distributors I and is then evenly distributed on the exchange surface 5 through the layer of air 4 forming the compensator.

Indeed, the thickness of this compensator diminishes from the point nearest the heater 3 to the extremities of the distributor, the heat liberated near the tube 3 willhave greater difficulty in reaching the floor than that liberated near the extremities of the distributor. The'cross-section of the distributor as well as the thickness of the compensator 4 are chosen, along with the total quantity of heat provided so that a determined,

practically constant quantity of heat will be transmitted'to the floor per unit of surface, throughout its entire length. In practice, the distributor has a constant thickness and is preferably made of'stamped copper, aluminum or sheet iron. It

follows that when the heater 3 is maintained at a constant temperature and the air above the floor likewise remains at an appreciably constant temperature, an equilibrium of' temperature is established in the installation such that the upper surface of the floor has substantially the same temperature throughout its entire extent.

Thus, should the temperature of the heating body 3 vary, all'the the other temperatures will also vary and the quantities ofheat will remain in the same proportions. The temperature of the exchange surface will therefore always remain uniform throughout its whole extent.

Fig. 3 shows the form of the two parts 20 and 43 of the connecting piece 2 before the assembly of theinstallation. The part 20 rests upon the .little heat.

in a predetermined position even when the heater 3 varies in vertical position, If the heater, instead of being of circular section, has two faces parallel to the parts 43, it is possible to slide the parts 43 directly against these two faces. i

The air cushions formed by the recesses 34 ac as insulators, as also does the layer of air 36; and the wedges 31, permit the loss of but very As the spaces between the distributors are short, the heat is practically uniformly distributed through the layer 5 and consequently in the floor38 and 39.

The distributors are thermally connected to the heaters and at their extremities contact the layer 5 with a slight pressure, at the same time being slidable thereon. A small space .33 is left, .in each recess 34 for play between-two adjacent dis-' tributors so that these latter may expand-freely. Further, provision is made for spaces 4| between. the supporting member and the connecting piece and Ior'space 42 between the distributor and the, supporting member, to provide for relative move-5 ment between these parts.

pand or contract or be displaced slightly 'with-.

out the production of any dangerous stress. As

the contacting surfaces between thedistributors I and. the layers 5 and between the heaters 3 and the wedges 44 are parallel to the exchange surface, the assembly formed by the distributors I, the connecting pieces 2 and the heaters 3 may be displaced parallel to the floor without; being subject to any stress. In the mass of the supporting members and in the floor (bed 38 and.

linoleum 39), the temperature will vary lessand the expansion will consequentl'y'be weakerthan,

in the assembly indicated .abo ve. Provision however may be made that thesesupporting members and the floor (and 39) may expand' freely in relation to the slab- 40, by formingzthe; wedges 31 of a material which does not adhere to the supporting members or to theslab, but which permits a sliding movement betweenthese; parts. I

Thisembodiment of my invention permits the.

elimination of all dangerous stresses due toexpansion. I The contact pressure between the distributor I and the layer 5, may be as small .asnecessary.v

According to a modification, the spacing be tween the different points offthe distributor I.- and the layer 5 (that is to say, the thicknessof the compensator 4) maybe calculated in such v manner that these two members do not come into contact with each other, as a result of which all the heat must traverse a layer of air, before reaching the exchange surface. Thus there will be no friction between the distributor I and the layer 5.

The heaters 3 may also besuspended in such manner as to render their displacement'by, expansion easier, or the distributor I may be fixed to the layer 5 so as to cause relative variations of position-to be absorbed by the connecting iece ,2. This: latter m e e f h smi pose be flexible or present contacting surfaces which permit a sliding movement. This connecting piece may also be integral with the distributor.

Instead of the hollow bodies shown, supporting members may be employed formed simply of a layer 5 and ridges 6, without a lower layer 35. Further, the supporting members, instead of resting on the wedges 31, may rest directly on the slab 40, or upon a bed of cement.

If the layer 5 is sufficiently resistant and if the supporting members are symmetrically located at calculated intervals, this layer 5 may I serve directly as the floor.

The bed 38 and the linoleum 39 may be replaced by a tile-flooring, a layer of cement or other material containing saw-dust or cork, a floor without joints or even a parquet floor.

Although the invention has been described in detail, such description is intended as only illustrative, as the invention may be variously embodied.

What I claim is:

1. A heat-exchange installation comprising means for giving a substantially uniform temperature to all points of a heat-exchange surface, the said means comprising a net of tubes disposed parallel to said surface and containing the source of thermal energy, the enveloping surface of said tubes being materially smaller than the exchange surface, heat-distributing means between the tubes and the said surface, at least one compensating part of greater specific resistance to thermal transmission than the distributing means and disposed between said means and said surface, the compensating part having the value of its absolute thermal resistance measured at right angles to the said surface greater in a region near the tubes than'in a region remote therefrom in such manner that there is obtained a practically uniform temperature throughout the entire heat-exchange surface.

2. A heat-exchange installation comprising means for giving a substantially uniform temperature to all points of a heat-exchange surface, the said means comprising a net of tubes disposed parallel to said surface and containing the source of thermal energy, the enveloping surface of said tubes being materially smaller than the exchange surface, heat-distributing means between the tubes and th'e said surface, at least one compensating part of greater specific resistance to thermal transmission than the distributing means-and disposed between said means and said surface, the compensating part being so shaped that its thickness measured at right angles to the exchange surface is greater in a region near the'tubes than in a region remote therefrom, the thickness being so graduated that there is obtained a practically uniform temperature throughout the entire heat-exchange surface.

3. A heat-exchange installation comprising means for giving a substantially uniform temsaid surface, the compensating part having a specific thermal resistance greater in a region near the tubes than in a region remote therefrom, the specific thermal resistance of said compensating part being so graduated that there is obtained a practically uniform temperature throughout the'entire heat-exchange surface.

4. A heat-exchange installation comprising means for giving a substantially uniform temperature to all points of a heat-exchange surface, the said means comprising a net of. tubes disposed parallel to said surface and containing the source of thermal energy, the enveloping than the exchange surface, heat-distributing means between the tubes and the said surface, at least one compensating part of greater specific resistance to thermal transmission than the surface of said tubes being materially smaller means for giving a substantially uniform temperature to all points of a heat-exchange surface,

the said means comprising a net of tubes disposed parallel to said surface and containing the source of thermal energy, the enveloping surface of said tubes being materially smaller than the exchange surface, heat-distributing means between the tubes and the said surface, at least one compensating part of greater specific resistance to thermal transmission than the distributing means and disposed between said means and said surface, the compensating part having the value of its absolute thermal resistance measured at right angles to the said surface greater in a region near the tubes than in a region remote therefrom, and means allowing the net of tubes to move relatively to the exchange surface, the thermal resistance of said compensating part being so graduated that there is obtained a practically uniform temperature throughout the entire heat-exchange surface.

6. A heat-exchange comprising hollow bodies carrying the said sur-,

face, a net of tubes disposed parallel to said surface and containing the source of thermal energy, the enveloping surface of said tubes being materially smaller than the exchange surface, heat-distributing means between the tubes and the said surface and placed in the cavities of said hollow bodies, at least one compensating part of greater specific resistance to thermal transmission than the distributing means and disposed between said means and said surface, the compensating part having the value of its absolute thermal resistance measured at right angles-to the said surface greater in a region near the tubes than in a region remote therefrom, the thermal. resistance of said compensating part being so graduated that there is obtained a practically uniform temperature throughout the entire heat-exchange surface.

WILLIAM DERIAZ,

installation comprising means for giving a substantially uniform tem-' 

